


Of Catnip And Vegan Brownies

by Abyssiniana



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Cat Cafés, Cat cafe AU, F/M, Gen, Implied Sheith, M/M, VLD Petzine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-12
Updated: 2019-01-12
Packaged: 2019-10-08 13:44:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17387432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Abyssiniana/pseuds/Abyssiniana
Summary: This was going to be featured inVLD Pet zinebut things got ugly and I pulled myself out of the project.“We can’t keep many more, Pop…” Keith reminded him. As if he didn’t already know. It was tough enough to get by without the growing family of over forty cats. He brought them home because he didn’t have the heart to leave them behind; neither Krolia nor Keith could blame him, they loved the cats just as much and supported James in any way they could, but they had been discussing limits. The breaking point where enough was enough and the overpopulation in their garage only decreased the quality of life of the cats rather than effectively helping them.--in which James Daniel Kogane has no bloody self control and takes in every stray cat he meets.





	Of Catnip And Vegan Brownies

One would think a grown ass man would have learnt a bit of self-control by his forties. Well, James Daniel Kogane sure hadn’t.

 

Becoming a firefighter had been somewhat of an impulse, much like everything in his life. After a year in prison for something as reckless as getting caught stealing food he couldn’t afford, there weren’t that many options for an orphan eighteen-year-old with no concluded education beyond ninth grade (no brilliancy in his marks either). It had been no easy task, but the pay was decent enough to get by and the training period had kept him busy enough to not get in trouble or violate his parole. With no love for his own life, he had enlisted with hopes of dying before his time was due.

 

Once within the ranks, it only took the first call to learn that death was inevitable. Sometimes the team rushed to a burning building only to find out it was too late to evacuate; sometimes there was no way for him to wake up elderly people under the effects of their sleeping pills; sometimes the fire and the smoke were just too merciless and swept lives at the whim of a cruel God, just before him. In that, he had found some inner purpose.

 

“Dad?” James was snatched from the depths of his memory and looked up from the wounded cat resting on his legs to meet the indigo of his son’s eyes. Keith had just woken up, it seemed, his hair all messy and T-shirt stained with drool. Glancing at his father’s lap, however, the young boy couldn’t hold back a conflicted sigh. “... You brought another one?”

 

“The family left her behind,” he explained, harsh southern accent coated with exhaustion as he scratched beneath the poor kitty’s neck, “went off to a friend’s house after the fire and didn’t want her no more.”

 

Fire was fucking terrifying; when faced with a situation that triggered the basic instinct of survival, people often forgot about their pets in the frantic race to escape the lick of a flame. Others were complete assholes and intentionally trapped their animals inside, or dumped the wounded animals in the streets afterwards as if they were some piece of old furniture that didn’t match the new curtains.

 

Saving people was the top tactical priority of a fireman. But pets died in the most hideous ways in house fires and if James could avoid it, damn right he would do whatever it took to get every living thing out of a burning building.

 

“We can’t keep many more, Pop…” Keith reminded him. As if he didn’t already know. It was tough enough to get by without the growing family of over forty cats. He brought them home because he didn’t have the heart to leave them behind; neither Krolia nor Keith could blame him, they loved the cats just as much and supported James in any way they could, but they had been discussing limits. The breaking point where enough was enough and the overpopulation in their garage only decreased the quality of life of the cats rather than effectively helping them. The Koganes had bills stacking up their desk, from vet expenses to medication to cat supplies; some of these animals were severely injured, some beyond physical and psychological repair. Some were old and tired, others young and fiery. There were missing limbs and their hearts too broken to love again, but they were so, so worth it. James knew they were.

 

“I know, kiddo. I’ll talk to yer Ma. We’ll think of something.”

 

* * *

 

When Krolia suggested opening up a café, James was reluctant about it; it seemed like more of a waste of investment money rather than a solution to their problems. But a month in business and a surprising amount of people showed interest in visiting a non-profit vegan coffee shop, where they could enjoy animal-cruelty free treats and play with the available selection of rescued cats. 

 

James looked over the counter to the cat room, where only ten of their enlarged feline family played and lounged the warm Arizona days away, and he saw how his son futilely used a sardine shaped treat to bribe  _ Black _ to pose for a photograph aimed her way. 

 

“This isn’t working!” Keith sat on the carpet, legs crossed and eyebrows knitted together in frustration.  _ Black _ wagged her tail in complete disinterest, as she sat atop the cat tree like she owned the place; which she totally did.  “She used to…  _ not _ hate me.”

 

“Don’t be like that, she doesn’t hate you,” Shiro, local college student and cat lover, chuckled, extending his hand towards Black. After a curious sniff, the long haired cat purred and nuzzled her head on Shiro’s palm. “Just be patient. See?”

 

James snorted at Keith’s disbelief, shaking his head in amusement when he playfully shoved Shiro away; people thought they’d come in to choose a cat, but the animals had some say in their fated owners as well. If  _ Black _ was to ever go home with anyone it would be Shiro, as soon as he got an apartment that allowed pets.

 

* * *

“Your monthly support… will cover any medical care they may need…” Shiro spoke slowly as he typed away on his computer, when the whole family gathered around a table with a laptop, mugs of green tea and leftover vegan brownies, past closing time. “Ensure that animals who were abused, neglected... or abandoned receive all the love and attention they deserve and it makes you an essential part of this pet’s life...?”

 

“Sounds good to me. Thanks for this, kiddo, we really appreciate what yer doin’ with the website.”

 

“It’s my pleasure, Mr. Kogane!” He smiled widely, because someone like him never did anything half-heartedly.

 

“Maybe we should create individual profiles for each cat?” Keith suggested after a bite on his brownie. From blind cats to amputees, to those few who suffered from neurological conditions and trauma and elder cats who were too fearful of people to allow physical contact without trust, there were so many stories to tell about the kitties. James recalled every single one of them, each like a tattoo in his heart.

 

“People need to know what they’re signing up for, the lives they’d be saving if they committed to a monthly donation or, ideally, if they picked one of them to take to their forever home.” Krolia agreed. James felt her behind him, wrapping arms that were stronger than a woman’s should be around his waist, and allowed himself to relax into his wife’s gentle embrace.

 

“Alright,” Shiro nodded at the proposal, opening a file which contained the names of the kitties, “what should we write about… little  _ Rover _ ?”

 

A tug on the back pocket of his jeans pulled James away, Krolia guiding him to the silent cat room. Too engrossed in their task to come up with each cat’s profile for the website, Keith and Shiro didn’t seem to notice their absence; the Japanese boy continued typing, practically bent over the keyboard with Keith close, peeking at the screen. 

 

“How are you feeling, my love? You’ve been working a lot for this.” Krolia remarked with pride, her face hidden in the curve of his neck and shoulder, as her body swayed to the rhythm of a mute song they both knew from memory. He followed the motion, hands on her waist. “It’s coming true.”

 

“Eh...” He shrugged humbly. Looking through the glass door, James saw how Keith threw his head back in laughter at something Shiro pointed out on the computer screen, as one of the rescued cats,  _ Strawberry _ , regretted choosing his lap as a napping spot, jumping off his legs in favor for a more quiet and less conventional spot for her nap.

 

His boy, his precious son… He wasn’t a social kid, for sure, never had been, and if his genes were in the right spot, tendencies were he’d have few important people in his life but he would cross the universe for them. With animals, however, Keith seemed to feel much more… connected. At least more easily. Keith loved every single kitty in their care and it showed in his face, rare enthusiasm and emotion shining through his bright secret laughter and smile-wrinkled eyes.

 

In addition to his duties as a fireman, debts, vet bills, sick cats coming in with more special needs, his son’s student fees, keeping up with a woman such as Krolia... It was an exhausting life; the café was a shot in the dark, more than they could possibly chew at this point but, heck, Keith had a friend in each cat of their family, he had found Shiro too, and James, having no self-control at all, wouldn’t have it any other way.

 

For Keith, it was more than worth it.


End file.
